1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a photograph printing and delivering method and a photograph printing and delivering system. More particularly, the invention relates to a photograph printing and delivering method and a photograph printing and delivering system for receiving a photographic image data transmitted from a camera, printing a photograph on the basis of the photographic image data and delivering the printed photograph. The present invention also relates to a camera to be used for the photograph printing and delivering method.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a silver film, on which photographic images are picked up by a camera, is desired to be developed, it is a typical custom that the exposed film has to be brought to a shop providing development and printing services, such as photograph processing laboratory and so forth, and after the photographs are developed and printed, a developed negative film and printed photographs are picked up from the development and printing service shop. Therefore, one desiring development and printing picked up photographic images (hereinafter referred to as (xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d), has to visit the development and printing service shop, twice. This should be troublesome for the user. In contrast to this, with digital cameras spreading abruptly in the recent years, the picked-up images can be instantly seen on display screens on the digital cameras per se or of a personal computer, television set or so forth. Additionally, the picked up image can be printed by a color printer.
However, typical color printers currently being spread is low in quality of the printed images in comparison with image quality to be achieved by the photographs obtained from development of the exposed silver film. While high quality color printers are available, such printers are too expensive to purchase for personal use. For this reason, increased number of photograph developing and printing service shops are starting additional printing service for providing high quality print of the photographic image data of the digital camera. However, even in this case, the user has to visit the service shop twice for transferring data on one hand and for picking up the printed products on the other hand.
On the other hand, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No.10-78618 discloses a system for transmitting a digital image data from a personal computer to a printing service provider, and delivering the printed products from the printing service provider to the user. In the proposed system, it becomes unnecessary for the user to visit the service shop. However, the image data picked up by the digital camera has to be once transferred to the personal computer for transmitting to the printing service provider. Therefore, the image data picked up while traveling cannot be transferred to the printing service provider unless the personal computer is brought together with the digital camera or until the user returns to the site where the personal computer is placed, such as own home or so forth. Furthermore, for some types of users who are not so familiar with personal computer, it should be troublesome work for transferring data from the camera to the personal computer and from the personal computer to the printing service provider.
The present invention has been worked out in view of the inconvenience or shortcoming in the current status of art. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a photograph printing and delivering system, a photograph printing and delivering method and a camera to be used in the photograph printing and delivering method, which does not require external equipment, such as personal computer or the like and permits delivery of the printed products to a user of the camera.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a photograph printing and delivering method comprises:
data receiving step of receiving an image data transmitted from a camera through a mobile communication network;
caller ID obtaining step of obtaining identification of a caller transmitting the image data;
image printing step of performing printing for reproducing an image on the basis of the received image data;
delivery destination information obtaining step of obtaining information of delivery destination, to which a printed product is to be delivered, on the basis of the caller identification; and
shipping step of shipping the printed product to the delivery destination based on the delivery destination information.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, a photograph printing and delivering method comprises:
data transmission step of transmitting an image data representative of a picked up image from a camera through a mobile communication network;
data receiving step of receiving the image data transmitted from the camera through the mobile communication network, at a particular telephone number;
caller ID obtaining step of obtaining identification of a caller transmitting the image data;
image printing step of performing printing for reproducing an image on the basis of the received image data;
delivery destination information obtaining step of obtaining information of delivery destination, to which a printed product is to be delivered, on the basis of the caller identification; and
shipping step of shipping the printed product to the delivery destination based on the delivery destination information.
With the inventions set forth above, the image data transmitted from the camera through the mobile communication network can be printed in the photograph printing step. Also, the information of the delivery destination, such as address and name of addressee for delivering the printed product, is obtained in the delivery destination in formation obtaining step. Then, shipping of the printed product is performed in the shipping step. Therefore, user of the camera can receive the printed photographs without visiting a printing service shop. Also, since the image data can be transmitted directly from the camera, it avoids necessity of the external equipments, such as personal computer or the like. Furthermore, since the delivery destination information can be obtained utilizing the caller ID service, it is not necessary to transmit the caller information from the camera.
Thus, according to the present invention, the user of the camera may obtain high quality printed image without visiting the printing service shop. Also, since the image data can be transmitted directly from the camera to the printing service system, it becomes possible to avoid necessity of use of external equipments, such as the personal computer to reduce burden of the user in operation. Furthermore, the user may order image printing even when the image is picked up on the visiting site, such as on the destination of trip. Furthermore, since the caller information is obtained utilizing the caller ID service provided in the communication network on the side of the printing service system, the camera is not required to contain the caller information in the transmission data to contribute for reduction of the transmission data amount and simplification of the transmission data structure. Furthermore, the user information can be hidden even if the transmission data is tapped.
In the inventions set forth above, shipping step may include an address label printing step of printing address and addressee of the delivery destination on the basis of the delivery destination information.
On the other hand, the photograph printing and delivering method may further comprise printing fee collecting step of automatically collecting printing fee corresponding to amount of printing load for printing the image based on the image data, in which collection of the printing fee is performed using a fee collection service provided by the mobile communication network. In this case, the automatic printing fee collection may be performed by adding on a fee depending upon data transmission amount or data transmission time reflecting the amount of printing load, to a communication service fee of the mobile communication network.
In the construction set forth above, since the fee for printing can be charged by the communication common carrier of the mobile communication network as fees depending upon the data transmission amount or data transmission time added on the communication service fee, the printing service provider can certainly collect the printing fee.
In the preferred construction, the caller identification is obtained through a caller ID service provided by the mobile communication service.
In the preferred construction, the photograph printing and delivering method is implemented with employing a camera comprising:
a digital camera for picking up an image of an object and generating an image data representative of the picked up image, the digital camera including an image storage for storing the image data;
a memory storing the particular telephone number to access for transmitting the image data; and
image data transmitter for calling to the particular telephone number as callee and transmitting the image data stored in the image storage through the mobile communication network.
The camera may further comprise a transmission button for activating the image data transmitter upon depression thereof. In the alternative, the image data transmitter may be responsive to number of the picked up image reaching a predetermined value for automatically performing image data transmitting operation.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, a photograph printing and delivering system comprises:
a data receiver for receiving an image data transmitted from a camera through a mobile communication network;
a caller ID obtaining part for obtaining identification of a caller transmitting the image data;
an image printer for performing printing for reproducing an image on the basis of the received image data;
a delivery destination information obtaining part for obtaining information of delivery destination, to which a printed product is to be delivered, on the basis of the caller identification; and
a shipping part for shipping the printed product to the delivery destination based on the delivery destination information.